


Canyon Chains

by Izzygrace07



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Caves, Chains, Claustrophobia, Eventual Fluff, Fear, Filming, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-19 15:48:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22846750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzygrace07/pseuds/Izzygrace07
Summary: Luke lets out a quick and trembling exhale, pulling his hands out of his pockets to shake away the nerves he feels gathering. "You got it," he mumbles, eyeing the cave like it's his worst enemy. "You got this. You're good."Or, Luke panics during the filming of the Easier music video and discovers a newfound fear of small spaces and being tied up.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood/Ashton Irwin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 142





	Canyon Chains

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed that there was a lack of fanfiction written about the Easier music video, which is odd because tie-up Luke seems like the perfect fuel. So, I decided to God's work and write one myself.

Luke can't remember who pitched the idea for the "Easier" music video, but whoever it was, they're not going to live to see the end of the filming process.

He isn't quite sure what's causing him to feel such distaste towards the concept; in fact, he finds the meaning behind the video to be enlightening to what the song was about, and illustrates the feeling of entrapment, drowning and losing yourself in a nice way. And yet, there's something about it that makes his palms sweat and his heart pound against his ribs in warning, giving him the chance to run.

By his request, Luke's makeup artist paints shimmering eyeshadow onto his face. Upon filming 'Valentine', he wasn't too sure about the idea of wearing gold on his eyelids, afraid of the responses he would receive with "giving up his masculinity". However, doing so seemed to make something click in his personality, opening a new, slightly flamboyant being he didn't know existed in him. It makes him feel glamorous, giving him confidence that he wish he had had when the group had first started performing together.

Upon receiving a finishing smile from his makeup artist, he stood up from his seat and pulled his leather jacket tighter around him, hoping it would give him some comfort. Bronson Canyon isn't very big, not in the way that the media paints it to be. Luke can easily stand at the entrance of the small cavern and see the light of day on the other side, warm and welcoming. Adding the candles and gentle lighting brought a certain mystique to the little tunnel, only for it to be rudely interrupted by the band's instruments. Regardless, it is still a fascinating place to look into.

And yet, Luke's legs seem to stop working as soon as he gets to the entrance, some kind invisible wall keeping him from moving forward. He simply stares into the music video's set, petrified. His breaths are noticeably laboured, but he can't put his finger on the reason why. Something so little should not appear to be so daunting, yet here he is, cemented to the ground.

He jumps when he feels a hand rest between his shoulder blades. "You good, mate?"

Luke doesn't respond. His lips won't move by his command, sewn together by thick, transparent thread. Instead, he settles on shaking his head, harshly swallowing. He feels his palms dripping with sweat, and he rubs them harshly against his skinny jeans, only to feel them instantly grow wet again. He settles with shoving them into his jacket pockets, shifting uncomfortably at the attention he is receiving.

"You're looking pale, Luke," he hears. "What's going on?"

Luke draws his lips in, furrowing his eyebrows. Weakly, he forces himself to say, "I don't like this."

"Since when? You told the crew you were excited for it yesterday. You even recommended this place to shoot at."

Luke did, in fact, recommend the Bronson Canyon as their filming location. He knew that the original live action Batman movie had scenes recorded in this very location, as well as a handful of other music videos. It wasn't too hard to convince the rest of the team to make this their set upon mentioning these little tidbits. Since then, he's been nothing but excited to arrive, annoying his bandmates with his constant talk of the filming location. Now that he's actually here, seeing the cave with his own two eyes, he can only feel sickness in his stomach.

"Yeah, I know, but…" His voice dies in his throat.

Light laughter rings in his ears, and the hand on his back moves up to his shoulder, shaking him roughly. "Come on, it'll be great." With a final pat, he sees Ashton walk past him, radiating confidence from under his own leather jacket.

Luke lets out a quick and trembling exhale, pulling his hands out of his pockets to shake away the nerves he feels gathering. "You got it," he mumbles, eyeing the cave like it's his worst enemy. "You got this. You're good."

The first few steps slow, but they lack the same nervousness Luke had felt before entering, having built up a faux confidence. Inside, he sees Michael and Calum turning their guitars while Ashton adjusts his seat, tapping his foot on the bass drum. A cacophony of warm-up notes fill the air, echoing off the rocky walls. Michael looks up from his instrument and gives a small wave to Luke, who can only bring himself to nod back with a plastered smile.

"Mics are ready to warm up," Calum informs, glancing up as Luke approaches. He chuckles, shaking his head. "I still can't believe you let them convince you to get tied up. You know the fans are gonna lose their shit over this."

"It's their thanks for being loyal after all these years," Michael jokes, throwing a wink at Luke.

Luke nods his head, trying to loosen up a bit. "Only the best for 'em," he struggles to say.

It's only a few minutes later that the director declares its filming time. Luke's heartbeat pounds in his ears, distracting him from what he is being told. His pulse seems much more prominent than usual, as if his heart is trying to break through his ribcage. As hard as he tries to follow along, he can't understand a word he is hearing, his ears busy with the harsh pressure of his racing heartbeat. However, from the way Calum, Ashton, and Michael push him towards the camera, he can only assume that his scenes are first on the recording list.

He feels his body tense as his hands are raised above his head. A metal chain, dangling from the roof of the tunnel, is placed between his palms, and he grasps it like his life depends on it. A thick, black wire is wrapped around his wrists once, then twice, then five times. Somewhere, he hears someone explaining to him what he's doing, but it falls on deaf ears. After a moment, he is left standing, multiple cameras aimed at his anxious figure. He eyeballs the microphone sitting in front of him, barely going over his head. It's almost challenging him, certain that his nerves will show themselves for everyone. The thought is disconcerting enough to make the youngest band member tear his eyes away, his gaze aimlessly falling towards the floor.

Luke squirms, feeling the chain dig into his hands, the wire into his wrists. He takes a step forward, only to be pulled back to his stationary position. Seeing the sunset shine in from the exit does nothing to calm him down, practically vanishing from his sight all together. He's never been in a situation that called for him to be tied up, to have no sense of control, and he hates it more than anything. The idea had seemed fine when the director had mentioned it to him, but the actual captivity makes his mind run, sending him down a horrifying spiral that he doesn't stand a chance against.

He pulls against his restraints, but the effort is of no avail, only serving to send painful aches through his arms. His body suddenly feels too hot, and the tunnel feels much too small. He's breathing too fast, but he's not breathing enough oxygen to help him. The corners of his vision darken until his vision has gone completely red, and he squeezes his eyes shut, praying for it to go away. Everything is closing in around him, making his stomach somersault. His head pulses as his voice of rationality violently chants that _you're gonna die you're gonna die you're gonna die--_

"Hey, it's okay," someone whispers tenderly. Luke shakes his head rapidly, his entire body juddering as he tries to take a proper breath. "You're okay, Luke. Everything is going to be okay. I need you to tell me what's wrong."

Luke struggles to get the words out, every cry for help getting caught in his throat. Eventually, he forces out a hard breath and the pleas run out after it, each one coming out more hysterical and panic-stricken than the last. "I can't do-- can't do this the wires are-- the chain and the-- it's too small and pleaseIdon'twantthisIcan'tdothis--"

He doesn't realize there are tears streaming down his face until he feels a gentle hand wipe away what it can. Above him, he feels his hands moving, and his wrists are able to move freely. As soon as Luke is free, his shuddering body collapses, caught by multiple pairs of arms. Even after he is granted mobility, his legs struggle to recover from the lack thereof. There are many voices speaking to him, none of which he can pick out from the crowd, but he is able to catch reaffirming statements and soft tones. He feels himself being walked forward, around the equipment and crewmembers, outside of the Bronson Canyon.

The darkness he sees with his closed eyes turns orange from the sunset while a comforting breeze caresses his skin. The fresh air shocks his system and he doubles over, falling to his knees with stomach bile spilling from his mouth in a weak stream. He feels three hands on his body: two on his shoulders and one on his back. The odd one out rhythmically opens and closes into a fist, and Luke forces himself to breathe in time with it, in through his nose and out through his mouth. They stay like this for a while, but eventually, he is able to take in air as he should. His throat is scratchy from vomiting, his body is still shaking, and his head is still pounding from the tears, but he can breathe.

After what feels like an eternity, Luke opens his eyes, glancing up hesitantly. The world is open before him, free and spacious. The sky is painted in a beautiful array of warm colors, clouds spun together like candy floss. His vision is no longer blurry, the dark corners regaining their light as the night sky begins to lose its own. He turns to look as the bodies connected to the hands providing his stability, and is thankful to see Ashton and Calum on either side of him while Michael rubs his back from behind Calum. A pang of guilt hits Luke when he notices the alarm on all of their faces, causing his eyes to swell ever so slightly.

He leans back on his feet, the hands continuing to support him, and closes his eyes, utterly embarrassed. "I… I didn't mean to do that," he mumbles, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes, throwing them back into his lap a few moments later. "I don't know what happened, sorry 'bout that."

"Luke, you coulda told us you were claustrophobic," Michael comforts, leaning forward to run his hands gently up and down Luke's trembling arms. "We wouldn't've made you do that if we'd known."

"I know," Luke says, relaxing under the touch. "I know. I don't doubt that for a second. I didn't think it was gonna be a problem, honestly. I've never had that happen to me before. It just...thought I was gonna suffocate in there."

Ashton lets out a soft laugh, shaking Luke's shoulder. "Newfound claustrophobia. That's a bitch."

"Tell me 'bout it," Luke scoffs, grinning half-heartedly. He bites his lip, recalling the things that made his nerves spike, and his eyebrows furrow. "The, uh… I didn't like being tied up. It made me feel trapped. I guess the combination of them got me worked up." He looks between them, then dejectedly at his own hands as he nervously intertwines them. "Sorry, didn't mean to worry you."

Calum places his free hand on top of Luke's, squeezing them reassuringly. "You don't hafta apologize for being afraid, Luke. That ain't something you do on purpose."

"Do you want us to call off the filming today?" Ashton offers. "We can work out another idea with the crew, get us somewhere that--"

"No, no," Luke interrupts, shaking his head. "I can do it. Well, I mean, I can try. Just… Can you stay behind the cameras that are on me?" He should be okay, so long as he can see his friends standing by, ready to help should anything go awry.

"If it'll help you, then yeah, of course we will," Michael agrees. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he says. "I can do this."

Calum nods affirmatively, beaming proudly at Luke. "Yeah, you can."

The boys all stand up, Calum offering out his hand. Hesitantly, Luke accepts it and he is pulled to his tired feet. Ashton holds him by the forearm as he staggers, giving him time to regain his balance. Behind him, Michael applauds.

"What a champ," he calls.

Luke turns to look at him, laughing as he shakes his head. "Shut up, you're dumb."

Looking past Michael, he sees the Bronson Canyon lit up with candles, waiting for him like a predator to its prey. The crew is all inside, shooting the band concerned glances as they adjust equipment and set. It's beautiful, everything he had been hoping for, but he can't help but feel apprehensive at the thought of being tied up in the cave once again. Luke's heartbeat picks up slightly, and he feels his hands sweating once again, running them again his pants.

He jumps when he feels a hand rest between his shoulders blades."You good, mate?"

Luke draws his lips in, furrowing his eyebrows. Weakly, he forces himself to say, "I don't like this."

Light laughter rings in his ears, and the hand on his back moves down, intertwining their fingers together securely and taking away the larger parts of his anxiety. "Come on, you'll be great." Luke turns his head to connect his eye line with Ashton's, who is giving him the biggest dimple-filled smile he can as he swings their arms gently.

Luke nods, gathering some of Ashton's radiating confidence for himself. "I got it," he mumbles under his breath, speaking more to himself rather than the others. "I got it."

Calum walks in front of the group with Michael, who pats Luke on the back as he passes. With Ashton guiding him, the four walk back into the Bronson Canyon.


End file.
